Petrified
by Daari-Rozu
Summary: She's supposed to be living a life that is planned out from the very beginning. A life that is controlled by her peers and the expectations set by the adults around her. But then, a light came, as if telling her to rest, and so she did just that.
1. Light

It was supposed to be a normal day. Inoko woke up early in the morning, did her morning routine, and is spending half of her day at school. She's supposed to go home at exactly 6 o'clock or else her parents would get mad. She would then do her homework and get ready to sleep. This cycle would then continue for the rest of her life— or at least, until she graduates.

It was supposed to be like that. She's supposed to be living a life that is planned out from the very beginning. A life that is controlled by her peers and the expectations set by the adults around her.

But then, a light came, as if telling her to rest, and so she did just that.

* * *

Inoko remained seated even after lunch break already started. As soon as the bell indicating the break stopped ringing, her classmates all excitedly went out on their own to do things normal students do during their break. They went on their own circle of friends and started to chatter about their day.

Inoko, with her hair tied into a clean ponytail with a headband to keep her baby hairs out of her face, quietly took out the lunchbox prepared by her mother.

Plain white rice and a roll of egg as usual. It is the same everyday. Same food, same setting. It is quite lonely, but Inoko is already used to it.

As she started eating, Inoko subconsciously listened to her classmates' conversations, a habit that began due to the need to communicate with other people.

"...You see that girl over there? Gosh she's so annoying.."

"...that new movie is really dope! Too bad your favorite character died—ah shit. My bad."

"You totally spoiled it!"

"...So… you guys up for Karaoke later?"

Inoko perked up at the question. A karaoke? She's never been to one! She only knew it from the movies her cousins forced her to watch. Feeling excited, she whipped her head towards the one who asked.

"Oh yeah, sure. Why not? Your treat though."

"Eh? Why?"

"'cause you're the one who asked!"

Inoko, despite the intense want to ask them if she can also go, still remained seated. She gripped her chopsticks so hard, trying to keep herself from standing up.

She would love to go to karaoke later, however, she knows that she can't because one, she has a curfew. Two, they have homework for two subjects and exam week is just around the corner, and lastly, she's too shy to ask them. Besides, Inoko only knew them because they are classmates. They barely talked to each other. She will only ruin the mood if she joined them.

She sighed. Inoko continued eating her lunch, albeit slower. The rolled egg and the plain rice suddenly tastes too bland for her. Her mother probably forgot to add salt in it. Losing her appetite, Inoko decided to save it for later. _"I'll just eat it at home, with ketchup."_

Securely wrapping her lunchbox back into her bag, Inoko is left with nothing else to do. There is still a lot of time left before the end of their break. Inoko sighed, having nothing to do is a bit unusual for her. She's normally doing something and she rarely have free time, and if she ever have one, all she does is sleep.

Seeing that she will only be wasting time sitting on her proper seat while waiting for their lunch break to be over, Inoko finally decided to go out and take a walk. Might as well take a light exercise.

She is quite curious of the people around her. How can they be so carefree to their studies when even a single mistake can cause them their future? While she admits that she does have urges to just throw her notebooks somewhere around the corner of her room and then just do whatever she pleases, she tried her best to refrain from doing it because she knew that if she failed, she's going to pay for it big time.

The sound of laughter causes Inoko to stop her walking. What she saw next made her feel something that she always feel yet she couldn't quite grasp the right word to describe it.

It was a small group of friends, sitting on a blanket under the tree, as if having a picnic.

_"It must be nice to have someone."_

Jealousy, was it? Perhaps she really is jealous of everyone around her. They can laugh and hang together, enjoying the time of their lives. Unlike her… they are free.

Ever since she started going to school, Inoko's attention has always been to her studies. She did everything to excel at everything. She made sure to stay at the top even if she is mentally and physically exhausted. She just can't afford to lose, not ever. It is her parent's wish after all.

Neither of her parents graduated. They were still in their high school when they had Inoko. Yes, Inoko is one of the unplanned children that are perceived because of a split second of happiness. An unplanned child that totally ruined their dreams. Due to the lack of sustenance, this forced them to stop their studies and to start work earlier.

Inoko is aware that her parents still want to continue studying, but due to their status in life, they put everything to Inoko. This is also the reason why her parents are really strict to her every move. Inoko never once complained though. She's just thankful that they didn't choose to have an abortion.

But yet, she sometimes wish that she shouldn't have been...

"What the heck is that!?"

The scream made Inoko turned back to see what it was all about. It is one of the guys near the tree, now standing up and pointing at something in the sky. Curious, Inoko looked at what he is getting antsy about.

There was a discoloration in the horizon. The sky turning bright green and it seems to be coming towards them.

_"What… is that?"_ She thought, gripping her arms. Goosebumps spread throughout her whole body. The scene is eerie, yet at the same time fascinating.

Not even a second passed after seeing the green light, Inoko felt her whole body stiff. Then, she felt something that made her really panic.

Everything happened so fast that Inoko barely had time to react. She can't see anything, can't feel anything. Yet, she is conscious. She's got no idea on what's happening, all she knows is that her whole body is petrified.

_"What… just happened? What's happening? What's happening to me? Am I… going to die?"_


	2. Firmament

Inoko felt like crying. She has no idea on what is happening, and not knowing scares her. She is trapped, petrified and feeling alone in the dark. It's weird. She doesn't like any of this. Not even a little bit.

_"Someone... Help me..."_

She can't hear, she can't see and she can't even move. As if all of her senses were disabled. Yet, she stays conscious. It's scary. How long has it been? She feels like she's going insane.

Her eyelids opened abruptly. She lost consciousness again. Where is she again? She was...

_"No... Don't forget..."_

The flashbacks returned. The bright light that swallows the horizon. The stillness of everything. The loss of senses. The darkness. The fear.

_"Don't... Ever... Forget!"_

For the... How many has it been? She doesn't know anymore. She woke up, feeling empty. She knew she's going insane, she's probably insane right now. She don't know anymore. She doesn't know anymore.

_"My name...?"_

Who is she? All she remembered is that... She was... Petrified? She was stoned... Right?

On that day, she was... Right, she saw a bright light. How could she forget that? The light that turned her this way. She lost everything right then and there.

But wait... What is she doing, looking at the bright light? Oh yeah, right. There was a group of friends. She's really envious. But why would she? She was...

_"My name is... Inoko. Right? Right? I am Inoko?"_

She's definitely going insane.

Her parents... Does she have one? Of course she does. She won't be alive if she got none. Where are they? Are they fine? Are they doing well? Are they still... alive?

Then a vision came to her. She's inside her room. A really bare and boring room, only consisting of a bed and a storage box where she puts all her clothes on. She is facing the window, books on her hands.

She is studying. No, she is supposed to be studying, but Inoko was distracted by the children playing outside.

_"That was the first time…"_

That scene opened her mind to her situation: Why is she holding her books while other kids her age are playing outside? Why is she inside her room and not outside? Why are they happy while she's not?

Barking was heard, turning Inoko's attention to it. It was their neighbors' dog, tied in a leash so short that it looks painful. The dog barked at the kids, but the kids ignored it. They continued playing, as if the dog was never there.

_"That's right. I was the same as the dog from that time."_

The leash. The restrictions. The limitations. The strictness. The books. The tests. The loneliness. The envy. The…

Freedom? No, she never felt like she had one. Not even a single time. She felt trapped, caged with no other way out.

Inoko felt really uncomfortable. She squirmed. She tried to move her hands, her feet, everything. She can't take it anymore. No more cage. No more darkness. She tried to move a muscle...

… she can't.

Inoko shot her eyes open again, or at least, her consciousness. She fell asleep again! Then she noticed something. It's been so long since she heard anything and read something. She didn't force an information into her head for a while, and it is really taking a toll on her brain that is already used to information overload.

She's starting to forget.

Scolding herself, she tried to recite everything she can remember again from the start. She won't allow herself to forget. Not ever.

She started it with information about herself. She tried to recite everything that she could remember.

_"Inoko… Seiji Inoko. Female. 16. November 20…"_

Then with the letters and grammars.

_"A, I, U, E, O… Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko…"_

_"Hiragana… katakana… kanji…"_

_"The difference between a verb and an adverb is…"_

Then with the primary and the basics of arithmetic.

_"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0"_

_"1,223 added to 1,827 is equals to…"_

_"192,838 multiplied to 982,936 is equals to…"_

* * *

After a long time of reciting her memories, Inoko finally stopped. She already finished everything a few weeks ago but still decided to continue in case she forgot something. She even pretended to be teaching children and gave meaning to every terminology as simple as she could.

But still, nothing happened.

_"Am I really going to be stuck here forever?"_

She's feeling the sorrow, yet she can't shed a single tear. She's unable to. This only add to Inoko's frustration. Is this really it? This is so frustrating.

A part of the reason why she started to recite her memories is to prevent herself from succumbing to insanity. She read a long time ago that having mind games can help the brain. But now that she already finished reciting everything from her kindergarten lessons to the advance books that she read from the library, nothing still happened.

_"You're being stupid, Inoko."_ She said to herself. _"You should not have hoped that everything's going to be fine if you pretended that everything's going to be fine."_

She's unable to cry physically, but she's crying on her heart and mind. The word 'stupid' is repeating over and over again on her head.

_"Stupid self. Stupid people. Stupid world. Everything is just… stupid."_

For years, she's always been playing pretend, she just now realized. Her life sucks. Everything sucks. The time she spent reviewing herself about her life worth lessons? It's a waste of time. It sucks.

Is there even a meaning to everything she's done? Did she even made her parents proud? How about herself? Did she made her own self proud? Is there any accomplishments that can make her stand tall and hold her head up high?

This is really frustrating, it's stupid.

She really wishes that she shouldn't have been bo—

She heard it. A sound. She can hear it clearly because of the silence that accompanied her for a long time.

All of her previous thoughts were set aside as she waited for the sound to be heard again. It's not a fluke, isn't it? Or was it just a product of her deprivation from any sense?

She waited, and waited, until it hit a full minute. Then she felt it. It felt so magical she can hardly believe it. She wanted to laugh, this happened right after she had a breakdown, it's funny.

The thing that surrounded her for thousands of years, finally corroded. It started on her face, splitting into four uneven parts. Then to her neck up to her whole body.

The stones fell to the ground, creating a sound that echoed throughout the whole place. Inoko inhaled, missing the feeling of air entering her lungs, then exhaling and finally letting out the tears she's been holding from the day she was petrified.

She's been laying down, and the first thing she saw when she got out was the most beautiful view of the sky she's ever seen on her whole life.


	3. Breeze

Inoko is in awe. She can't bring herself to blink, as if the world will be gone if she did so. Everything is breathtaking. The sky is blue and the clouds are white. She breathe in the fresh air, something that she didn't expect to be possible considering the air pollution. There are no tall buildings to cover the view of the horizon, instead there are really big trees, something that she only saw in fairytale movies.

"This is…" she whispered, still not believing her eyes. The wind blew, causing her to shiver. Inoko just now notices that she was bare, her usually tied hair fell down to her face, promptly covering her bosom. She let out a surprised yell, quickly crossing her legs and crossing her arms in an attempt to cover her whole body.

Then she felt something was placed on her shoulders, covering her bare body from the cold. She freezes, her heart racing as soon as she felt someone else's presence behind her.

Wasn't she alone? She thought nobody else was here aside for her. Inoko remained facing forward, afraid to look behind her. Were they there all this time? Wouldn't that mean that they saw her naked? What if it is a creep? Inoko gulped, trying to see behind her without moving her head. The situation suddenly felt uncomfortable and creepy.

"Oh! Did I scare you?" Surprisingly and thankfully, it was a woman's voice. "We would've dressed you up first but it's impossible from your position."

Inoko visibly relaxed, but still somewhat guarded. Her parents always warned her to never talk to strangers. This person is still a stranger, woman or not.

The woman placed more clothes beside her without Inoko looking. This time, it was something similar to a tank top, and a long skirt that will surely reach up to her knees. Inoko just now noticed, she is wearing something similar to a kimono, and it's just the right size for her.

Quickly grabbing the given clothes, Inoko looked behind to see who her companion was.

It was a woman with long hair and has some seashells as a headband. She is really… healthy, with curves that any woman will die for. Inoko felt her face heat up, suddenly feeling insecure with her underdeveloped body.

"Seiji Inoko, do you remember me?"

Still flustered, Inoko furrowed her eyebrows. No, she does not. She'll surely remember a beautiful woman like the person in front of her.

_"But then again... I did experience a bit of… memory loss…?"_ Her thoughts trailed off as she realized.

Inoko's eyes were wide, her mouth agape and she seems to stop breathing. The earlier feeling is replaced by dread. Did she forgot something? There's no way. _That's impossible… right?_ She spent so long to remember everything, and she made sure that it is everything.

_"It's such as simple task and you can't even do it properly?"_

_No no no no no no._ She did her best! She did everything she can! She continued even if her brain is already hurting! _Wasn't it enough?!_

She cannot remember this woman, yet this woman clearly knows her.

"Hey, it's fine if you can't remember…" the woman started, noticing the panicked look on Inoko's face. "I'm not even surprised."

This caught Inoko's attention. _What…?_

"We met at the National Quiz Bee Competition. I must admit, you did ignore us a lot back there."

_Quiz Bee…_

Oh yeah! She remembered winning that competition. Not without hard work of course. But in the eyes of the others, Inoko didn't exert much effort for that competition.

That month was one of the worst for Inoko. It was such a hassle but Inoko have no choice but to comply to her school's wishes. She can remember being a nervous wreck before the competition started and the feeling of relief when she secured her place as the champion.

She admits that she ignored a lot of people trying to talk to her and just went directly to their school service van to sleep.

Come to think of it. If Inoko ignored the seashells on the woman's head and the primitive clothing, this woman is familiar.

"I'm Minami. I used to be a news reporter."

Ah! No wonder. Inoko might've seen her face while watching a broadcast. She, Minami, might have been on the National Quiz Bee Competition as well, trying to gather data on the students.

"...I'm really sorry for ignoring you back there." She really is sorry. Inoko regretted not answering their questions even though they're only doing their jobs.

"It's fine. But you better hurry up and get change. I'm only here because we're both woman and you're naked." Minami started walking away. "Someone wants to talk to you."

Inoko was left alone as she watched Minami walk away, disappearing into the woods. The wind blew again, her hands immediately flew to her face to block her hair. Without wasting time, Inoko took the clothes given by Minami and finally started to change.

Now that her mind is slightly cleared, Inoko turned around to observe her situation. She was revived near the edge of the cliff. Inoko looked down, grabbing at the nearest she can grab to secure her position. There was nothing below but rocks and trees. Inoko wondered why she was revived in this place. Was she really in here this whole time or did Minami's company moved her?

The place reminded her of how pirates used to punish and kill others when they were on a boat. The person standing on a narrow wood and is slowly forced to step back until they fell off the ship. Inoko shuddered. There's no way. That is too barbaric, and Minami doesn't look like a murderer.

Inoko finds a comfortable sitting position as she faced the green scenery. Up until now, her mind still can't properly register anything. All she knew was that the world has changed dramatically.

Thinking back, what had happened? Was it an attack? Did it only happened in Japan? No, that's impossible. If it only happened in Japan, other countries will surely offer them help. Then, would that mean that the entire earth is affected by the mysterious light? It is so unnatural and sudden. A failed experiment, perhaps? The world is big, are all humans stoned like her?

No, how did Minami revived her in the first place? Minami already had clothes for her and she seems to have expected her. That gave Inoko the clue that Minami has something that can depetrify stoned people.

She has so many questions and nothing is getting answered. This is getting frustrating.

Inoko heard someone coming, her posture immediately going rigid. She waited for the person to reveal themselves, her heart beating faster each second.

There revealed a tall and muscular man with long brown hair. He wore something similar to a yukata and coat that is made from lion's pelt. He walked barefooted yet it didn't seem to bother him. His most noticeable features were the lines that decorated his face anchest. Inoko wondered what that was.

"Seiji Inoko, a scholar and declared as the most promising student of your city. You were famous for always having the highest scores in any academic contests that you joined." The man started, still walking towards her. "You are a good student, a good daughter. You're still young yet you already accomplished many things that kids your age do not."

He didn't need to introduce himself to her. Inoko knew this man. Despite having a slight difference in appearance, Inoko can never forget this man's face. How could she when her father is a huge fan of this person?

"Let me ask you something…" he said, taking a pause to see Inoko's reaction. The wind blew again, this time, a bit stronger making both of their cloaks flapped in the wind. "Are you happy?"

The question threw Inoko off. Was she? She's grateful to everyone around her. But was she happy? Is she contented with herself?

_"Am I…?"_

"Base on your reaction, I deduced that you already know me. But I will introduce myself nonetheless." He said, now finally stopping in front of her. "I am Shishio Tsukasa. You can call me Tsukasa."


	4. Choices

This story will follow the manga and will contain spoilers.

I do not own anything except for my oc. Enjoy! :)

* * *

Inoko warily looked at the person in front of her. "Seiji… Inoko. It's nice to meet you." She dipped her head down, never forgetting her manners.

Silence dominated the whole area as the two of them continued to assess each other. Shishio Tsukasa held an expressionless face which crept Inoko out. The atmosphere suddenly felt colder than before even though she's already clothed. She fidgeted her bare toes, feeling nervous with the stranger in front of her.

Shishio Tsukasa is far from dumb. He knew what the look on her face and what her small actions meant. Judging from this alone, he can already see the big difference between Inoko and Senku. Is she really as smart as others makes her appear? Willing to take the risk, he finally decided to break the silence. "It's been over 3700 years since the sudden petrification."

He can clearly see how shock and disbelief slowly showed on her face. She may be proclaimed as a genius, but he already met someone who can easily outsmart her. He would like to think that she's not a threat to his plans, or else he'll have no other choice but to retort to the other way.

"...3700 years?" She whispered, unbelieving. "That's impossible!"

Inoko could not believe her ears. If it has really been 3700 years since then, wouldn't that mean that she's been talking to herself, trying to fight insanity for **thousands** of years? She doesn't know what to feel. This must be a dream. A nightmare.

"After over 3700 years, we have now been given another chance to bring peace to earth." Shishio Tsukasa continued, making sure that Inoko is listening. "The old corrupted world should never be brought back again. You understand why, right?"

She flinched at the sudden question. What is he trying to say? She doesn't like where their conversation is going. What does he mean by never bringing the old world back?

Not waiting for her to answer, Shishio Tsukasa slowly walked up to her. "This is Stone World. My plan is to create a paradise… An untainted world, with only the people with pure hearts living on it. We will create an ideal world. Don't you agree with my plan, Seiji Inoko?"

As he is moving closer to her, Inoko is stepping back away from him, bringing herself closer to the edge of the cliff.

"Don't you ever want to just live your life however you want? Nobody is going to force you here, not anymore. You can do whatever you want, go wherever you want. No one is going to judge you." He said. "In this world, everyone is free."

The wind blew again. Shishio Tsukasa finally stopped moving closer and Inoko sighed in relief. She doesn't want to look back but she can feel that any movement will cause her her life. She can practically feel how the path she's standing thinned out, with only a few inches of ground to stepped on.

"Why… are you telling me this?" She asked. "Why me of all people?"

Shishio Tsukasa did not answer. He only looked at Inoko, thinking about something that she doesn't know. Feeling conscious under his gaze, Inoko looked down her feet as she fiddled with her thumbs. She tried her best to contain the fear from showing on her face but she already knew that she failed at it, badly. Her heart pounds, threatening to jump off of her rib cage. Her current place is not helping at all, knowing that a single mistake can kill her. What does this man want with her? Why can't he just go straight to the point?

"Do you want to join our kingdom?"

The question caught her off guard. What kingdom?

"I'll be truthful with you. I never planned to revive you. If you were revived under different circumstances, I will have no choice but to kill you."

..._what_?

Inoko gulped. Is he really serious about killing her? No no no no no. This is too barbaric and totally against the law. But he said it with a straight face and with a serious tone.

"What will you choose? To live or to die?"

Inoko was barely given time to think. _"No, it's not that I totally agree with his plans."_ She thought. Her legs are stiff and she's scared to move them. _"I swear..."_

The wind blew, causing the leaves on the trees to rustle; some leaves broke free from the branches and swayed along with the wind. Down at the very bottom of the cliff, laid a group of lions. Some of them are fast asleep and is relaxing under the shade while the others are sitting, looking directly at her.

_"I don't really have a choice, don't I?"_

* * *

Inoko walked a few steps behind Shishio Tsukasa, barefooted. She winces every time she stepped at something as she is not really used to not wearing anything for her feet. Almost every step is painful; the rocks, the grass, the roots, etc. She did not dare to complain though. It's not that she can't, she just doesn't want to.

Tsukasa has given her a mission; one that she still can't quite understand the reason behind it. It was to observe and spy two of their men. Inoko is conflicted. Why? Could this two be suspected to be traitors? What if they were? What will they do to them? Tsukasa never got into details. He just said to observe and tell him their every move.

The walk lasted for over thirty minutes. She immediately sat onto a small boulder as she tried to catch her breathing. Her legs felt like jelly and she just wants to lay down after having the longest walk she's ever had.

"How…" she panted, "...how much further away are we?" Her throat is dry as a dessert, her feet are sore, and her stomach is rumbling. It's a good thing that Tsukasa gave her a break but she doesn't think she can go any further. It sucks when there are no other way of transportation.

"Don't worry, it's not too far. It's just a few minutes ahead."

It's true. She can see a cave large enough to house a lot people not too far away from where they are. Seeing that Tsukasa is really telling the truth about the place being just a few minutes away, Inoko stood up and ignored the aching of her thighs.

It's a good thing that the whole place is being shadowed by the trees or else the exhaustion she's feeling will be ten times worse. The freshness of the air also helped her and despite taking a really long walk, she still feels fresh because she doesn't sweat that much. Soon, their surroundings has a lot less green and was replaced by mountains of rocks.

Upon reaching the entrance of the cave, Inoko can already see a lot of people guarding the outside and the inside of the cave. Almost every head turned to their direction as they came into view.

"Welcome to our base." Tsukasa said, his voice low enough for the two of them to hear. "Don't forget your mission." And with that, he proceeded to enter the cave, leaving Inoko standing alone in front of it, not knowing what to do.

She scanned the whole area, grimacing when she noticed how buffed and strong looking the residents of this kingdom looks like.

_"Did I make the right choice? Am I going to survive in this place?"_


	5. Grave

Inoko quickly ran to a vacant corner where she could hide herself. What is she supposed to do now? There are more people than she thought. She wanted to find Minami since she's the only one that she is familiar with but can she really consider the two of them as friends? Maybe acquaintance, but maybe it's too soon to call themselves as such.

She sat down, legs crossed. The pain on her feet is now becoming unbearable. She held it and tried to remove the dirt that is clinging to it, cringing at the slightly wet texture of the dirt. The redness of it is noticeable if seen closely.

While she was busy removing the dirt on her feet by using a leaf, she didn't see someone approached her. This person has been observing her as soon as she walked into view with Tsukasa. He clutched the sling that holds his arrows. She looks young, and those expressions just screams innocence. Why would Tsukasa bring someone like her here?

Inoko looked up in surprise as someone sat down next to her. It was a guy with blonde hair that is hidden by a paper hat. He wore an orange cloak and on his back was a quiver with several arrows on it. She just notice the bow that was placed on the ground in the middle of them two. He gave her a small smile as soon as their eyes met, in which she shyly give in return.

_Stranger warning! Stranger warning!_

"H-hello…" her shy attempt on starting a conversation. He didn't give her a reply, instead he reached for his shoes and slid them off.

"Here." He said, handing her his shoes. "Your feet are hurting, right?"

"No! I mean… yes, but I can't possibly take that."

"It's fine. Just give them back as soon as you had your own." There it is again. The smile that makes Inoko feel warm inside. The sun shone behind him, giving the nice impression of him being an angel and Inoko fought to look away.

"... thank you, um…?"

"Ukyo."

"Thank you very much, Ukyo-san."

Inoko smiled as she hid behind her hair, her face heating up. She cleaned and removed the last bit of any removable dirt on her feet and wore the shoes given by Ukyo. She gave it an experimental stomp a few times before nodding in approval. It is a lot bigger than her feet but she can at least manage to walk with it.

"I'm Inoko. It's nice to meet you, Ukyo-san."

Ukyo stood up, now with his bare feet. The sight of this made Inoko guilty of using his shoes. She shook her head._ "No, Ukyo-san is nice enough to let me borrow his shoes. I should be grateful to his kindness."_

"There's this girl named Yuzuriha. She serves as our tailor." Her brows rose up at the name. "She's also the one who made your clothes. You should ask her to make you some footwear."

"Yuzuriha? It's one of those two people who Tsukasa-san wants me to follow…" she thought.

She stood up, patting off the dirt on her behind. "Um… Ukyo-san. Can you…" she looked down, trailing off when his blue eyes shifted to her. She twiddled her thumbs, feeling shy in front of the man in front of her. "...can you take me to this person, Yuzuriha?"

Earlier, Tsukasa told her to keep an eye on two people who are apparently the first members of the group. One girl and one boy; Yuzuriha and Taiju. Tsukasa said that they were not a threat and it is just him being cautious. Inoko is confused by this but didn't voiced out her thoughts. If these two were already there when Tsukasa is just starting, why would he be acting suspicious of them?

"Sure." Ukyo said, adjusting the quiver on his back.

As they walk, Ukyo informed her of the things that she should be aware of; things that should be done and what not to do. She learned that almost everyone here just arrived recently. It hasn't even been a week since Ukyo was freed which shocked her.

The system that Tsukasa runs isn't as bad as she thought. Each one of them plays a role. Ukyo acts as a scout because of his sensitive hearing. Yuzuriha is their tailor since she has talent for craftsmanship. The guy who is always around her, Taiju, is one who works for the physical labor. Everyone also knew Minami since she is the one who is in charge of choosing who should be added and can help their growing group.

Questions ran through Inoko's mind and Ukyo's voice soon faded out in the background as she focused more on her thoughts. She noticed that the majority of them are fighters or at least physically fit. _It's like Tsukasa-san is gathering all of the most capable in fighting. Are they up against something? Would that mean that something out there is dangerous?_ She gasped. Could it be the source of the light and the reason behind the petrification? Speaking of that, are they the only humans who survived? They were called the 'Empire of Might', could there be another group of people out there? _If so, why are they not together? How did they survive? Did they use the same method that Tsukasa-san and Minami-san did? What was that anyway?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Is everything okay?" Ukyo asked, concern laced in his voice. Inoko just nodded her head gently and looked at the ground. She saw the shoes on her feet and his now bare feet which makes her face go warm. She cupped it, turning away from the man beside her. "We're here."

Right after he said that, Inoko looked around, hoping to find the person she has been looking for. Unlike the entrance of their headquarters which still have some trees albeit a few, this place was surrounded by really huge rocks that blocks the view of the sky. Bald trees can be seen everywhere she looked and the best word to describe the place is dull. In the center was a cross attached to the ground.

"Excuse me, Ukyo-san…" she started. "...did someone died?"

She noticed the dark and grim expression on Ukyo's face as soon as she asked her question. _Oh no._ Did she just crossed the line? She should not have asked!

_Why can't you read the mood?!_

"Yes." Ukyo said, tipping his hat down. "I never really met the person but he was the first person who survived."

"Oh." Was all that she could say. _The first person to survive, eh? He must be really old, then._

"Yuzuriha and Taiju often stay here. If you need something from them, they will definitely be in this place." Right after he said that, footsteps were heard causing the two of them to simultaneously turn their head towards it.

It was a young woman with short brown hair. She wore a headband that is shaped like a headphone and wore a white dress that is only being held up by the red strings stitched loosely on the side. Inoko blushed in shame as another well endowed woman showed up.

_"Why are they all blessed with great appearance?!"_ Inoko thought. _"And why is she only dressed like that? I thought she was a tailor?!"_


	6. Companions

This story will follow the manga and will contain spoilers.

I do not own anything except for my oc. Enjoy! :)

The newcomer froze on her spot as soon as she saw Inoko and Ukyo standing in front of her. The crumbled pieces of stones that she had just collected fell to the ground because of the shock which prompted a small squeak from her.

Inoko shifted her gaze from Yuzuriha to Ukyo, not knowing what to do. She squirmed, looking only at Yuzuriha's face, feeling uncomfortable by the other female's choice of clothing. Growing up, she was taught to be modest and to be conservative. The shortest she has worn was their school uniform which is 2 inches above the knee. She tried to hide her blush by looking down to the ground when she saw the side breast of the woman peeking out from the slit of their dress.

Yuzuriha hurriedly picked up the pieces of stones that she dropped. It was placed in a basket and it was scattered all over the place. As she observed the stones, Inoko can't help but notice that some pieces resembled human body parts. _"Those stones…" _she thought. _"Is she collecting the broken human stones? What is she planning to do with them?"_

Ukyo stepped forward, crouching down to help Yuzuriha pick up the stones, leaving Inoko the only one standing. She held down an _'eh?' _as she watched the two of them. She doesn't want to be rude. Quickly following Ukyo's actions, she moved her hair to the side and tucked some of it behind her ear. Silence continued with a hint of awkwardness as the three of them picked up stones. Inoko, however, has her brows furrowed as she noticed things and more questions runs through her head.

_"There is nothing but stones in this, but this no doubt used to be a person. It is disturbing how there is no flesh even though it was already in pieces. This means that humans are turned into stone up to the core. I can't even see a trace of blood in this. If I didn't know then I would assume that this was just a broken sculpture."_

"Speaking of sculptures…" Inoko stopped as she stared at the broken stoned finger she's holding, "This reminds me of those greek sculptures. Those are weirdly realistic that it is kind of creepy…" she placed it on the small basket where Yuzuriha holds the stone pieces. "... especially now that we know that it is possible to turn humans into stone…"

"My, Inoko… what's with the sudden dark thought?" Ukyo said, smiling uncomfortably at the topic. "Are you saying that humans turning into stones are a thing even from the ancient times?"

"Ah! I'm sorry!" and she's back to her usual shy self. "It's just that… it's… um…" she tried to reason her comment, her voice fading out until no words came out of her mouth. Ashamed, she grabbed her haori and hid her face behind it. "I'm sorry! Forget what I just said!"

Yuzuriha, who stayed quiet the entire time, stared in wonder at the new face. Tsukasa asked her to make clothing for a new person a few days ago. She must be the new person then, seeing that she's wearing the garments that she worked for days. The brown haired girl smiled as she watched her interact with Ukyo. This girl held a different vibe from the rest of the people they are with. It is kind of refreshing, but she wonders what did Tsukasa saw in her to make him revive her.

"You're new here, right? I'm Yuzuriha Ogawa. It's nice to meet you."

Inoko peeked through her haori. Her face warmed up as she shyly smiled at the woman. "I'm Seiji Inoko. It's nice to—"

"YUZURIHA!"

Inoko almost squealed. The owner of the voice repeated Yuzuriha's name over and over again until he reached their position. It was a man with spiky brown hair and noticeably thick eyebrows. He wore a sleeveless cloak that is tied together by a rope and wears boots as a footwear. He carries a much larger basket on his back containing various kinds of fruits. _"This person must be Taiju." _Inoko concluded.

"Yuzuriha! I brought lots of fruits today!" he said- no, he shouted.

"That's great, Taiju-kun!"

Inoko, being an observer, did not miss the way Taiju's face heat up when Yuzuriha directed her attention to him. Yuzuriha also sported the same look, her cheeks painted with a light shade of red that it almost went unnoticed. She tilted her head. _"Are they dating?" _

Taiju looked at the remaining two people, especially to Inoko. His brown eyes widening in curiosity. A soft hum can be heard for a few seconds coming from him before it was replaced by a large grin stretching on his face.

"I'm Taiju Oki! You are?" he introduced himself, stretching out his big hands for a handshake.

Inoko had to take a step back, overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. She did not expect this from the person that Tsukasa is suspicious of. "I'm Seiji Inoko. Just Inoko is fine." reluctantly, she reached for his outstretched hand and shook it genty. Although it was a bit in vain since Taiju shook their hands fast and with more force that Inoko thought her arm will be removed from its rightful place.

Yuzuriha and Taiju looks to be about the same age as her, if not a bit older than her. _"If we were the same age in the modern era, will the time of our de petrification affect our age? If Yuzuriha-san and Taiju-san were revived a year ago, would that mean that they are now a year older than me?" _Her brows furrowed further, earning concerned glances from the three. _"Wait wait wait. If that were the case, then I will be older than my parents in no time! EH?!"_

While she was having a dilemma inside her head, Ukyo looked up above the sky to observe the position of the sun. If his estimation is correct, then it will be noon by now. He tipped his hat down, allowing his eyes to adjust after being momentarily exposed to the bright light of the sun.

"Well then, I will be taking my leave now." he announced.

Inoko looked at him in shock. _"Why? Don't leave me here…"_

As if reading her thoughts, he explained himself. "I will be doing my hourly patrol in the forest, maybe even bring some meat if I'm lucky."

Inoko just looked down, disappointed but she can't really do anything about it. Besides, it's not like Ukyo-san is going to be away for a long time. Her face warmed up in realization. _"We barely knew each other and we literally just met this morning. Why am I already acting so dependent to him?"_


	7. Suspicion

This story will follow the manga and will contain spoilers.

I do not own anything except for my oc. Enjoy! :)

* * *

It has been a few days since Inoko was introduced to a whole new style of living. The day after her de petrification was hell. She really adjusted a lot of her routine since they are back to the stone age. Unlike in the modern era where there are instant food and a whole set of clean clothes to change into, it was really a lot different.

Inoko sat down from her hammock; made by the ever so kind Taiju-san and Yuzuriha-san. She stretches her arms until she heard the satisfying _'pop' _and relished the relief it brought from her stiff body. The sky is still colored dark and the sun is barely peeking from the horizon.

After being thrown into a new lifestyle, Inoko had to adjust a whole lot. It is not a bad thing though. In fact, she kind of liked it since she only experienced this kind of thing on her imagination. It was refreshing, having nothing to worry about; no school, no pressure, no stress. She only needs to think of what she should eat next, though it is not that hard to find food since currency doesn't exist anymore. They can just take what they want without being called a thief.

It was such a peaceful life. Perhaps she should thank Tsukasa-san for giving her an opportunity in experiencing this life.

Inoko slipped her very own boots which Yuzuriha-san had just finished making yesterday night. She was also given a long cloth to tie her haori on her waist since Yuzuriha said that it was obvious that it was bothering her. Inoko unknowingly smiled, tying the cloth around her waist. They only met a few days ago and Inoko already felt closer to them than anyone before.

Then reality just slapped her into realization. Her smile was replaced by a frown and her brows furrowed, almost meeting each other. That's right. She was sent by Tsukasa to spy on these two kind people. She doesn't want to think of it like that but she's basically just betraying them.

She tiptoed her way out, careful not to wake the others. On her hands was the pair of shoes that Ukyo has lent her a few days ago. She felt extremely guilty on wearing his shoes. The sight of him running around doing his patrols barefooted is too much. Thankfully, it didn't take long for Yuzuriha to finish making her own shoes.

She breathe in the fresh air before heading out to the nearest stream to do her newly established morning routine. As she grew used to the new faces on her surroundings, her shyness was slowly reduced that she can now greet everyone without being nervous or stuttering.

She caressed the two cracks that mysteriously appeared on her face and neck. She just noticed it after seeing her own reflection in the water which was the day after she came. It was dumb on her part to think that it was just a coincidence that Tsukasa, Taiju, Yuzuriha and the majority of their kingdom all have these weird markings.

Her face was decorated with two vertical lines, nestling below her eyes, creating the impression of her crying some black liquid. The other only reached half of her while the other one extended up to her neck, ending in a swirl. It is weird how her face felt normal despite having cracks. Inoko looked at her own reflection in the water. Her hair was down, her bangs are almost covering half of her face, and she is wearing the same clothing for a few days now. Her mother would surely scold her if she saw her current look.

Right when Inoko is about to splash her face with water, she saw something move from her peripheral vision. It was still dim and the trees didn't really help make things clear for Inoko, but she is certain that it is a person.

_"Is that... Yuzuriha-san?"_

It _is_ her. What is she doing at this hour? Curious, Inoko followed her.

In the few days that Inoko has been here, she didn't think that Yuzuriha and Taiju are planning something against Tsuaksa. They both interact and treat everyone the same. Inoko honestly don't see anything suspicious about them. Taiju is really energetic and outgoing. He is like a kid the majority of times but he actually helps brighten up the mood. Yuzuriha is really kind, like, really really kind. She is someone that Inoko can depend on. It is hard to imagine that these two is being suspected.

Yuzuriha is walking quite far and fast paced, as if trying to be sneaky. She carries a basket that Inoko hasn't seen since the first day they met. _"What is she going to do?" _Inoko can hear her heart beat fast as she followed her friend. She doesn't like where this is going. She is clinging to the hope that maybe Yuzuriha is just out to fetch some food, or just plain do her hobbies early in the morning. _"Yuzuriha-san... you're really acting suspicious right now."_

Inoko clenched her fist. _"Please don't be a traitor..."_

* * *

Something changed today in the Empire of Might. It wasn't anything major, but it somehow answered some of the questions that Inoko had.

A man named Asagiri Gen had just returned from his mission. It caused some slight panic to the people since the majority of them did not know that he is an accomplice. Even Ukyo had to set out a warning shot.

Inoko did not know all of the details of his return since she is not present at that time.

From what she heard, this Gen person was tasked to investigate the man named Senku, who is apparently the one who is supposedly dead according to Taiju and Yuzuriha. The grave was also meant for this person. Gen came back and confirmed his death, which is actually quite confusing for Inoko.

Wouldn't that mean that the grave was just two sticks attached to the ground? Now she felt silly for being afraid of setting foot 5 meters near it.

Now with the newly acquired information, Inoko now has some of her questions answered and some are added.

_"We are not the remaining humans in the world, which is actually good. This Gen person said that there was a village and he got into a fight with them, meaning that this village might be hostile, which is understandable considering the state of our world now "_ Inoko sighed in relief. It was good to know that humanity still have hope.

_"Now to the next topic. This Senku person must be really important. I don't know much but it seems that Tsukasa felt threatened by this person. He even go as far as sending one of his men to confirm his death. Also, they didn't say how this person died. Is it too personal? Why would they build him a grave if they haven't confirmed his death yet? But Taiju-san and Yuzuriha-san speaks so sure about his death. What is happening, really?"_

The feeling of dread from this morning intensified. _"It's like... Yuzuriha-san and Taiju-san were hiding something... but wait. Asagiri Gen just confirmed that this Senku is dead! How? What are the factors that made him come to that conclusion? He did not bring any evidence to support his statement. It seems that Tsukasa-san trusts him so much that he just believe what he reported in. This smells so fishy."_

The more Inoko thought, the more she wants to stop. She's afraid of what the outcome will be. No matter how much she tried to reason out her friends' side, she just can't since almost everything points out to them hiding something. The thing that she saw this morning also didn't help. Now, Asagiri Gen just added to the fire.

Inoko shook her head aggressively. _"Maybe I'm thinking too much..."_

Maybe she is. _"...Why would I suspect a dead person anyway?" _


End file.
